Does anyone know how much genetics plays a role in bloom out? My SDB 'That's the Spirit' appears to have no fans--just old mother rhizomes with stalks. I'm wondering if I should replace it, or is it a genetic problem that is likely to occur again. It was moved last year to a hotter location. But all of the other irises moved to that location are fine.

i would leave them laurie, sometimes they (s)end out little increases later. i've found that sometimes a sprinkle of osmocote helps w/ that process as well. sometimes, for whatever reason it doesn't, and i have bloomout.

i've observed, too in my garden anyway, the some remontants have a higher bloomout rate.


edited to correct spelling.

Thanks, Daphne. I was thinking I would leave the rhizomes at least through the fall to see if by chance anything develops. There appears to be a fan that has developed a few inches up on one of the stalks---it's trying!

Laurie,
A few times I have thought an iris dead ,nothing appearing above ground ,seeming the one main rhizome appears to be it and not that healthy.Then in the Spring a small fan appears.
Of course it will take the small rhizome a few years to grow to bloom.I always ask myself i,n this case ,is it worth the wait.
You can always even wait until Spring and see.

I sprinkle Osmocote around my bloomed out rhizomes too and I can't think of a time that it hasn't worked. It can take weeks or months for new growth to appear.

Thanks Derylin and Robin. That sounds hopeful! I will leave it and see what it does next year.

As long as the mother rhizome is firm, it will most likely still grow. If it turns to mush, it may not. In any case I wouldn't remove it until next spring, as sometimes it will still grow.

Thanks, Tom. There are multiple mother rhizomes and all still firm.

Here in Coastal Calif. bloomouts are not unusual. A certain number of them show it is genetic. Many of the Schreiner purple/black line almost always bloomed out. Dig it up if there are no "nubbins" around the mother rhizome, that is the end of it. No amount of cutting, fertilizing, etc. it will make it grow. jjg

thank you joe.

Thank you, Joe. I am going to examine the mothers closely. I also will get a picture of the "fan" growing on the stalk and post it here.

Here are pictures of the "fan" growing on the bloom stalk. It has a swollen base--maybe the beginning of a rhizome? I've seen daylilies do something like this, but this is the first time I've seen it in an iris.





I examined the mother rhizomes, but they are mostly in the soil, so I didn't disturb them too much. There could be nubbins present, but can't tell.

It looks like it's already putting out an adventitious root. I suspect that if you carefully cut it out and planted it, without damaging the root, it would probably survive and grow.

I think you are right, Daisy. Maybe I will let it continue to grow on the stalk as long as the stalk remains green to help it gain as much energy as it can before I "cut the cord."

Here is a picture of That's the Spirit:

In all my years of having irises, I've never seen anything like that.

I've heard of it, but never witnessed it happening. I've seen it on DL's.

Thank you to everyone for this thread. I planted my first bearded irises a year ago. Unfortunately a freak late snowstorm meant that only a few bloomed. Two that did make it were fantastic bloom machines but not as vigorous as I would have thought they would be. One small pup and that's it. One is a dark purple bonus from Schreiners. I kept blaming my steep iris learning curve but maybe that's not what it is after reading all your comments.

lauriemorningglory said:Here are pictures of the "fan" growing on the bloom stalk. It has a swollen base--maybe the beginning of a rhizome? I've seen daylilies do something like this, but this is the first time I've seen it in an iris.



I examined the mother rhizomes, but they are mostly in the soil, so I didn't disturb them too much. There could be nubbins present, but can't tell.

The same picture. The dwarf iris Purple Tiger bloomed in full bloom. After flowering, only one fan with root primordia remained. Tall bearded irises also make such airy fans. True, less often than dwarfs.

Thanks, for the picture, Valeria. Maybe if I paid more attention to the foliage, I'd come across more examples of aerial fans.

Update:
Took a look at the aerial fan on the old bloom stalk. With a slight pressure, I was able to detach it. You can see the developing root nodules. 'That's the Spirit' may have bloomed out, but it found a way to live on! Aptly named!
I will plant it in the ground in the next day or two.